Canada’s Identity Theft Worries Mount with AI Progression, Okta Survey Finds

With low confidence in detecting AI-driven identity theft attempts, Okta research underscores the need for increased AI education and better security measures for businesses and individuals.

TORONTO, March 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly three quarters (almost 75 per cent) of Canadians fear their identity will be stolen or misused due to the advancements in AI, according to new research* from Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ: OKTA), the leading independent Identity provider.

What’s even more concerning, less than a quarter (roughly 20 per cent) of Canadians are confident in their ability to recognize AI-generated attempts to compromise their personal information. This lack of confidence comes at a time when generative AI is increasingly used to manipulate photos and videos, often featuring notable figures, yet it’s the risk of personal identity theft that is poised to emerge as the foremost concern.

“As Canadians grapple with a surge of phone and email scams, with perpetrators often posing as banks or credit card companies, the rise of generative AI adds another layer of complexity,” said Dan Kagan, SVP and Country Manager at Okta Canada. “With AI, cybercriminals create convincing deepfakes, clone voices, and automate personalized texts - so distinguishing between genuine and synthetic content is increasingly challenging. Addressing this requires a concerted effort from the private sector and government to provide robust education. Unfortunately, many Canadians are currently underserved in this regard.”

Identity theft concerns grip Canada as AI education lags behind
Against the backdrop of escalating identity theft incidents, the survey found more than one-third of Canadians (almost 35 per cent) have either experienced identity theft or know someone who has, and more than fifty per cent are concerned about their identity being stolen in the future. Despite growing concerns over identity theft, less than a quarter of Canadians are educating themselves about are educating themselves about AI-driven threats to their personal information (around 25 per cent).

Employees less concerned about protecting their work credentials, and employers must act
When it comes to targeted identity threats, Canadians were more concerned about their personal accounts being compromised than their work credentials. In fact, over 30 per cent of Canadians see their personal banking accounts as the prime target for generative AI-driven attacks, and more than 30 per cent point to social media accounts as the next concern. This starkly contrasts the roughly 5 per cent who are most concerned about AI threats on their work credentials and email.